


Nightmares

by alexandrite04



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Green Arrow and the Canaries (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Nightmares, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Platonic Cuddling, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:48:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29256963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandrite04/pseuds/alexandrite04
Summary: Laurel has a nightmare. Dinah is there for her.
Relationships: Dinah Drake & Earth-2 Laurel Lance, Dinah Drake/Earth-2 Laurel Lance
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if the spacing doesn't make sense, I tried

A scream tears through the night air, and Dinah jolts awake. She sits up quickly, looking around for the source of the sound, confused and on edge. It takes her a moment before it dawns on her where the sound must've come from. Laurel. Getting quickly out of bed, she rushes down the stairs to find her. She hears Laurel before she sees her, breaths coming in short, shallow gasps as tears run down her face, a look of pure terror written across her features. “Hey, hey. What happened?” Dinah asks gently as she gets nearer.

Eyes wide in terror, Laurel scrambles backward on the couch as Dinah gets closer. “Don’t- don’t touch me.” She gasps. “Get away from me.” She says, terror in her voice, her breaths still coming in shallow gasps. 

Dinah stops in her tracks, afraid of upsetting her more. “Hey,” She says softly. “I’m not going to hurt you, Laur.” Laurel doesn’t say anything, just watches her as if expecting her to hurt her at any moment. “Another nightmare?” Dinah asks gently. Laurel nods silently, shaking. “I’m sorry.” Dinah tells her sympathetically. “Can I sit?” She asks, gesturing towards the couch. Laurel hesitates before nodding, flinching away when Dinah comes close. Dinah sits and just watches her for a minute, concerned and confused about Laurel's terrified reactions. “What happened in your dream, songbird? I’ve never seen you like this before.” She says, growing more concerned by the minute. 

Laurel wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, shaking her head. “I- it’s fine. Go back to bed.” Laurel says, dismissing the conversation. Dinah scrunches her eyebrows in concern.

“I’m not going back to bed until I know that you’re feeling better.” She says stubbornly. “And I think it would be good for you to talk about it.” She says in a gentler tone. Laurel stays silent, looking away. Dinah scoots closer, careful not to freak her out. “Hey,” Dinah says softly, causing Laurel to look at her. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” She asks. 

Laurel hesitates before nodding, playing with the string of her hoodie. “Then talk to me,” She says, concerned. “Please.” Laurel just looks at her for a moment, trying to find the right words. She pulls her knees to her chest, a nervous look on her face. 

She takes a deep breath before telling her, “The nightmare, I- it was um,” She says hesitantly. “It was about you, I guess.” Dinah looks at her, confused. “It was about me?” She asks. Laurel nods, taking another deep breath before explaining, “It was a memory, um- from a while ago. That time you tried to kill me in the woods.” She explains. 

Dinah looks shocked for a minute before a look of sadness clouds her features. “Oh Laur, I didn’t know you still thought about that.” She says sadly. Laurel shrugs, toying with her sleeve. “I still do sometimes.” She says, almost casually. “I’m sorry, Laur,” Dinah tells her softly. “Why didn’t you tell me it was bothering you?” 

Laurel looks down at her lap nervously. “I didn’t want to bother you with it.” She says. Dinah frowns, worried. “Hey,” She says gently, taking laurel’s hands in her lap. “You could never bother me. If something is bothering you, please come to me. I’m here for you.” She tells her. 

Laurel nods, giving her a tiny smile. “Thanks, D.” She says. “Is that why you flinched away from me earlier? Because in the dream I hurt you?” Dinah asks, thumb lightly stroking the back of Laurel’s hand. 

Laurel hesitates before nodding. “I just- I don’t know.” She says nervously. Dinah looks at her sadly. “Laur, I’d never hurt you.” She tells her reassuringly. 

Laurel nods, telling her, “I know you wouldn’t. I guess I just got freaked out.” She admits, looking down at their hands where they lay in Dinah’s lap. 

“Hey,” Dinah says softly, putting a hand gently underneath Laurel’s chin so that their eyes meet. “It’s okay to be traumatized by something like that.” She says, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Laurel’s ear. “We’re going to get through this together, okay? I’m here for you, and I’m going to protect you. I won’t ever hurt you again.” 

Laurel looks relieved, responding with a simple, “Thanks, D. That means a lot to me.” 

Dinah smiles at her fondly. “Always, songbird.” Laurel lets out a big yawn then, and the two glance at the clock only to discover that it’s 3am. 

“You should get some sleep, Laur.” Dinah says softly, putting her hand gently on Laurel’s knee. She strokes her knee gently with her thumb, and Laurel relaxes at the gesture. “Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?” She asks gently. Laurel nods, and Dinah gets up, holding out her hand to Laurel. Laurel’s hand slips into hers, and the two head up the stairs. They settle into bed, and Dinah turns off the lights before snuggling under the covers. Once the lights go out, worries begin to run wild in Laurel’s mind. What if she has another nightmare? She can’t deal with another one tonight. 

Dinah must sense her anxiety, because moments later, she feels Dinah shift in the bed, turning to face her. Her voice floats through the darkness, softly asking her, “Can I hold you?” Laurel doesn’t hesitate to respond, whispering, “Please.” She feels Dinah shift beside her, then feels warm arms wrap around her body and pull her close. She rests her head in the crook of Dinah’s neck, relaxing into her. She hears Dinah breathe out a sigh of content, gently rubbing Laurel’s back. “I’ve got you, pretty bird.” She says softly. “Get some rest.”


End file.
